Legion Pulse Pre-Workout Review (2024)

In this article, we’ll be taking a close look at one of the most popular pre-workouts on the market from Legion so you can decide if it’s right for you. 

In short, while the high-stimulation won’t be suitable for, this is easily one of the most effectively dosed, science-backed pre-workout supplements available. Let’s get into our review!

Legion Pulse Pre-Workout Review: Quick Summary

Legion Pulse Pre-Workout

• Item Form: Powder
• Best for: Muscular Strength, Muscular Endurance, Reducing Fatigue, High-Intensity Exercise Performance, Training Volume, Enhanced “Pumping” Effect
• Flavor: Pina Colada, Rainbow Sherbet, Fruit Punch, Strawberry Kiwi, Blue Raspberry, Apple Cider, Arctic Blast, Blood Orange, Blueberry Lemonade, Cherry Limeade, Frosted Cranberry, Grape, Green Apple, Mojito, Pink Lemonade, Sour Candy, Strawberry Margarita, Tropical Punch, Watermelon, Peach Ring
• Caffeine: 350mg
• Special Ingredients: Betaine, Beta-Alanine, Citrulline Malate
• Package Information: 1.04lbs
• Serving: 23.5g
• Price per Serving: ~$2.25
• Company Founded: 2014
• Recommended by Athletes: Gage Clark, Grant Tinsley, Machaela Brabham

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Legion was founded in 2014 with the goal of creating genuinely effective supplements that are fully backed by science. This supplement follows through on this promise, offering one of the most effectively dosed pre-workouts on the market. 

So, is Legion pre-workout good? From our experience, this supplement provides intense stimulation, effectively dosed ingredients, and great flavor. Also, with over 20,000 Legion Pulse reviews with an average score of 4.6 stars, it’s clear most people are fans of this supplement as well. 

This supplement combines a high 350mg dose of caffeine with 3 main additional ingredients: betaine, beta-alanine, and citrulline malate. This means Pulse will give you a wicked hit of stimulation with significant ergogenic effects largely related to improved endurance. Pulse also includes L-Theanine, which is beneficial for reducing the negative side effects of caffeine.

There’s also a solid 20 flavors to choose from – all made without any artificial sweeteners, dyes, or preservatives. We found the Fruit Punch flavor to be enjoyable, without the chemical aftertaste found in many pre-workout supplements. 

Of course, this 350mg serving of caffeine won’t be suitable for everyone, although Legion does offer a non-stim alternative. Also, at ~$2.25 per serving, this is a fairly expensive supplement as well. Overall, despite these minor cons, this is still an excellent pre-workout and should be one of your first choices if you’re looking for a high-quality, all-natural supplement. 

Legion Pulse Pre-Workout Review

Below we’ll be doing a more in-depth Legion pre-workout review, breaking down each ingredient, as well as its stimulation, taste, and more. Let’s get into it!

1. Ingredient Breakdown

Let’s start by taking a look at all the active ingredients included in Legion Pulse, including caffeine, Betaine, Beta-Alanine, Citrulline Malate, and L-Theanine. These work together to provide a powerful combination of effects including increased energy and endurance.

• Caffeine

First, and arguably most importantly for any pre-workout supplement, is caffeine. Each serving of Legion contains 350mg, which is very strong. Along with focus, caffeine has been shown to increase speed, and total power output over a workout. It also improves performance by reducing fatigue perception, making it a valuable inclusion to any pre-workout formula. This is the main ingredient in Legion’s formula that will provide the most meaningful and noticeable difference in performance ability. 

• Betaine

Next is Betaine, which is a common pre-workout ingredient used for endurance performance and force production. Note that you will need to take betaine every day to notice any meaningful effect from this ingredient. Legion contains 2.5g of betaine, which should be optimal as a daily dose. 

• Beta-Alanine

Beta-alanine is similar to betaine, in that you’ll need to take it every day to notice any meaningful effect. It’s mainly used to reduce fatigue, which is thanks to how it increases muscle carnosine stores. Each serving of Legion contains 3.6g of Beta-Alanine, which is also optimal as a daily dose. 

It’s worth noting that this will likely cause parasthesia (tingling/itchiness), which is a common side effect associated with Beta-Alanine. This will usually go away the more regularly you use beta-alanine. 

• Citrulline Malate

Legion Pulse also contains Citrulline Malate, which has both acute and chronic effects on recovery and endurance performance. Citrulline Malate is a form of L-Citrulline bonded with Malic Acid. This means you need to take slightly more Citrulline Malate than L-Citrulline to get equivalent effects. Legion Pulse contains 8g of Citrulline Malate, which should be effective, although a higher dose of 12g+ would likely be more effective. 

• L-Theanine

Finally, although not exactly an ergogenic aid like the ingredients above, L-Theanine has been shown to reduce cortisol and limit negative side effects associated with caffeine like jitters and anxiety. Because Pulse contains such a large dose of caffeine, L-Theanine is a beneficial inclusion to this formula. 

2. Stimulation

The standard form of Legion Pulse contains 350mg of caffeine, which is exceptionally strong, even for a pre-workout supplement. It’s worth noting there is some variation here, with 3-6mg per kilogram of body weight being a generally safe amount of caffeine. So, 350mg may be perfect for some, and too much for others depending on body weight. 

400mg of caffeine is the maximum daily limit for most adults, so you may want to limit your caffeine intake when using this supplement. For most athletes, a more suitable single dose will be around 200-250mg. Because of this, we can only recommend this supplement to people with plenty of experience taking high doses of caffeine.

For adolescents and those with caffeine sensitivity, Legion also offers a non-stim version of Pulse. While this won’t provide the same raw energy that the caffeinated version does, you’ll still be getting solid, effective doses of multiple other active ingredients. 

3. Taste/Flavor

Legion offers this pre-workout in 20 different flavors, which is excellent for a pre-workout supplement. Note that the non-stim option only comes in 8 flavors, which is still solid.

We tried the fruit punch option, which Legion says is their most popular flavor. The flavor was mild and pleasant, and the supplement mixed very well into cold water. Likely because they don’t use any artificial ingredients, Legion also doesn’t have the chemical aftertaste many other pre-workout supplements have. 

Taste is subjective, so it’s difficult to say what the best Legion pre-workout flavor is, although we can confidently recommend Fruit Punch. Legion also recommends Blue Raspberry as founder Mike Matthews’ favorite flavor. If you decide to try Pulse, let us know what flavor you get and how you like it!

4. Nutrition Label Transparency 

Legion is one of the best brands on the market if you’re concerned about the Transparency of your supplements. This product is Labdoor Tested for purity, ensuring that Pulse doesn’t contain any banned substances or harmful contaminants. We recommend looking for third-party certifications like this if you’re ever concerned about the purity and quality of a supplement you’re buying. 

5. Value for Money

While Legion is an undeniably high-quality pre-workout supplement, it also comes at a premium price point. Each serving of Legion Pulse will cost you ~$2.25 for both the stimulated and non-stim varieties. However, buying in a bulk pack of 3-5 will save you an additional 20% if you’re serious about using this supplement long-term. 

While we believe this is a fair price, this is still a lot to pay for a pre-workout supplement, especially if you’re just looking to try it out. This is another reason we mainly recommend this supplement for people experienced with pre-workout supplements. 

Who and What is Legion Pulse Pre-Workout For?

Like any pre-workout supplement, Legion Pulse is best suited for athletes looking to boost their performance through a combination of caffeine and other active ingredients. 

Because of the high caffeine dose, we mainly recommend Legion to people who have plenty of experience with pre-workout. 350mg per serving is no joke. Even experienced pre-workout users will notice a solid hit of stimulation, so this will likely be far too much for most beginners. 

Luckily, Legion does offer a stim-free option if you just want to enjoy the benefits of Pulse’s other active ingredients. However, the effects of these ingredients will be mild at best, especially considering L-Citrulline is the only one with any real acute effects. 

You could always take a smaller dose to get less caffeine, but you will end up taking smaller doses of the active ingredients. So, many beginners would likely be better off simply choosing a pre-workout with milder stimulation. 

Still, for the right athlete, Legion Pulse will provide the perfect hit of high stimulation you’re looking for. If you’re confident you can handle the high dose of caffeine, Legion may be the perfect pre-workout for you.  

How Do You Use Legion Pulse Pre-Workout?

We recommend that you take a serving of Pulse pre-workout mixed with 1-2 cups of water ~30-60 minutes before your workout. We recommend this timing to maximize the acute benefits of caffeine and citrulline. If you’re taking the non-stim version, consider taking it closer to 60 minutes before your workout. 

As we’ve mentioned throughout this article, such a strong pre-workout won’t be suitable for everybody. 350mg of caffeine will provide a ton of stimulation, even for those used to high-stim pre-workouts. As a result, it may be best to take a half scoop to start, and up your dosage as you get used to the stimulation. 

While the other active ingredients won’t be dosed as effectively, this may be an effective way to mitigate negative side effects associated with high doses of caffeine. If you’re concerned about the other active ingredients more than caffeine, consider taking the non-stim version, or a different pre-workout supplement entirely. 

Check out the table below for our recommendations on using Legion pre-workout:

Legion Pulse Pre-Workout Alternatives

While Legion is a high-quality supplement, it’s not suitable for everybody. Below we’ll be looking at a few other high-quality alternatives in case you’d like to try out a different pre-workout supplement. Let’s take a closer look at how Pre-Kaged and Transparent Labs Bulk compare to Legion Pulse. 

1. Legion Pulse Pre-Workout vs Pre-Kaged Elite Pre-Workout

Pre-Kaged Elite Pre-Workout

• Item Form: Powder
• Best for: Muscular Strength, Muscular Endurance, Reducing Fatigue, Training Volume, High-Intensity Exercise Performance, Enhanced “Pumping” Effect
• Flavor: Fruit Punch, Orange Mango, Glacier Grape, Strawberry Lemonade, Caribbean Sunrise
• Caffeine: 388mg
• Special Ingredients: L-Citrulline, Beta-Alanine, Betaine, Creatine Monohydrate & Nitrate, L-Carnitine Tartrate, Taurine, 
• Package Information: 1.59lbs (720g)
• Serving: 36g
• Company Founded: 2015
• Recommended by Athletes: Andrea Somer, Colt Nichols, Kris Gethin

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First is Pre-Kaged Elite, which is an even higher-stim option than Pulse, containing 388mg of caffeine per serving. It contains a similar ingredient breakdown to Pulse, with 3.2g of Beta-Alanine, 10g of L-Citrulline, and 2.5g of Betaine. Pre-Kaged also contains 5g of creatine (split between monohydrate and nitrate), which is one of the most beneficial sports supplements for performance and recovery when taken daily. 

Similar to Pulse, Pre-Kaged Elite contains no artificial flavors or colors and is third-party tested ensuring a high level of quality. Kaged does have significantly less flavor variety with only 5 options to choose from. 

Finally, this is also a more expensive supplement than Pulse, costing ~$3.00 per serving. Overall, this is a similarly solid formula to Pulse, although it also will not be suitable for beginners because of its high caffeine content. 

2. Legion Pulse Pre-Workout vs Transparent Labs Bulk Pre-Workout 

Transparent Labs BULK Pre-Workout

• Serving Size: 1 scoop (21.2 g)
• Servings per Container: 30
• Calories Per Serving: 5
• Betaine Anhydrous Per Serving: 2,500 mg
• Taurine per serving: 1,300 mg
• Recommended by Athletes: Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, Pat Li, PAULINA

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Next is Transparent Labs’ Bulk pre-workout, which is a significantly milder formula with only 200mg of caffeine per serving. Right away, this makes Bulk more suitable for pre-workout beginners and intermediates. 

It also contains a similar ingredient breakdown to Legion and Kaged’s supplements, with 8g of Citrulline Malate, 4g of Beta-Alanine, and 2.5g of Betaine. These active ingredient doses and milder doses of caffeine make this supplement perfect for people who want a more moderate pre-workout supplement without sacrificing active ingredient doses. 

This is also an all-natural supplement for anybody concerned about artificial ingredients. Bulk is also certified by Informed Choice ensuring a high level of quality. With 13 flavors, Bulk falls in between Kaged and Pulse in terms of variety. 

Each serving of Transparent Labs costs ~$1.67, easily making it the cheapest supplement out of the 3 we’ve covered. The cost combined with the lower dose of caffeine likely makes this a better choice for beginners when compared with Legion or Kaged.

FAQ

Does Legion Pulse give a Good Pump?

It’s unlikely that any of the ingredients included in Legion Pulse will have a major effect on the pump you get from your workout. However, several of the ingredients help with endurance and force production, so this supplement may lead to a longer, more intense workout, which may translate to a slightly better pump. 

Does Legion Pulse Pre-Workout Break a Fast?

The nutritional info states this supplement only contains about 4 calories per serving. It’s worth noting that the nutritional information also states this supplement has 5g of carbs, which would total ~20 calories, so one of these numbers is wrong. 

Either way, this is a very minimal amount of calories. While some people may still consider this a fast breaker, we believe most people will be fine using this product while intermittent fasting.

Does Legion Pulse have Creatine?

No, Legion Pulse does not contain any creatine, which is one of the safest, most effective sports supplements available for boosting performance and improving recovery. However, because creatine needs to be taken every day to produce any meaningful effects, we typically recommend taking it on its own instead of as part of a pre-workout formula like this. 

Is Legion Pulse Pre-Workout Safe?

When taken responsibly, Legion Pulse should be completely safe. Keep in mind that it is very high in caffeine, so it may cause side effects like insomnia, anxiety, and jitters. As a result, we recommend this supplement only for people experienced with high doses of caffeine. Otherwise, consider the non-stim option, or take a smaller serving size. 

Conclusion

Overall, Legion’s Pulse is one of the strongest, and most effective pre-workout supplements available. It contains an intense dose of caffeine with solid amounts of active ingredients like Beta-Alanine, L-Citrulline, and Betaine. While the high stimulation will be ideal for some, they also offer a non-stim option for those who want to avoid such high doses of caffeine. 

While some people will want a milder pre-workout like Transparent Labs’ Bulk, for the right person, Legion’s Pulse will provide the high stimulation you’re looking for. 

Are you a pre-workout beginner, or a seasoned pro? Are you planning on giving Legion’s Pulse a try? What flavor are you planning on trying? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Also read:

• Legion Whey Protein Review
• Legion Protein Bars Review
• Legion Recharge Review
• Wrecked Pre Workout Review
• Pre Lab Pro Review
• Gnarly Nutrition Reviews: Protein, Creatine, & More
• Huge Supplements Wrecked Pre-Workout Review

References:

1. T.E. Graham, “Caffeine and exercise: metabolism, endurance and performance” Sports Med.;31(11):785-807. (2001).
2. Apicella, Jenna M., "The Effect of Betaine Supplementation on Performance and Muscle Mechanisms" Master's Theses. 109 (2011).
3. Julie Y. Culbertson, “Effects of Beta-Alanine on Muscle Carnosine and Exercise Performance:A Review of the Current Literature” Nutrients. Jan; 2(1): 75–98. (2010).
4. Wethington, L. N. “The Ergogenic Effects of Acute Citrulline Malate Supplementation on Weightlifting Performance in Trained Females.” Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses. (2016).
5. Jessica Chebuske, “L-Theanine: Can This Amino Acid Do It All?,” The Well by Northwell, https://thewell.northwell.edu/healthy-living-fitness/l-theanine-anxiety (Accessed Mar. 17, 2024)
6. The Nutrition Source, “Caffeine,” Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/caffeine/ (Accessed Mar. 17, 2024)
7. Photos made by Torokhtiy Media Team.